Various mechanisms exist for identifying and configuring associated hardware devices during pre-boot of a computing device. In a basic computing system there may be dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of configuration options. In existing systems, the options are typically configured manually, i.e., by pressing a function key such as “F1” at setup time and choosing desired parameters. If a system has 100 settings, an experienced user may manually set each of the 100 settings. A less advanced user may only configure 5-10 items.
Each parameter, or option, may determine the performance characteristics of the computing system. In some cases, a user will want a fast device, regardless of power consumption. In other cases, a user might want to save power without regard to performance. In enterprises with many computing devices, it is cumbersome to manually configure each device to the same specifications.
Another problem with existing systems is that there is no simple way to expose standard configuration mechanisms that could be leveraged by a class of platforms in a forms-based configuration infrastructure. Similarly, existing systems do not have the ability to utilize a variety of forms-based configuration questions located in controllable variable destinations to further assist in the standardization of platform configuration.